On this week’s A Different Perspective, Dr. Gates Maier, from our Grand Rapids, MI, location, fills in for Dr. Flynn. He reviews some risk factors for heart disease mentioned by Dr. Flynn and then adds another: LP-PLA2. Dr. Gates also talks about NEO40 for blood vessel health and how vital consuming enough protein is for muscle and joint repair. He wraps up the show with a commentary on the seriousness of heart disease, including a growing concern regarding cardiovascular disease in young people. Also included are two Wellness Way success stories.
Perspective: Cardiovascular Risk Factors
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Dr. Gates does a deeper dive into risk factors for heart disease. He talks about what we should look for when it comes to cardiovascular problems and how we can best find out what’s going on in the body. He covers:
- The standard lipid panel with its emphasis on “Bad” vs. “Good” cholesterol
- The connection between Endothelial Dysfunction and heart disease: Endothelial dysfunction: does it matter? Is it reversible? – PubMed (nih.gov)
- You can have normal cholesterol levels and still develop plaque. Which other risk factors aren’t being addressed? That’s where testing comes in!
- Inflammation: Its connections to heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure.
- Inflammatory Markers:
- High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)
- Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (LP-PLA2).
- The American Heart Association believes hs-CRP is an important marker for predicting heart attack risk.
- The New England Journal of Medicine found that the men with the highest C-reactive protein had 3 times the risk of heart attack and twice the risk of stroke compared to men with the lowest C-reactive protein.
- Patient example #1 – This patient had normal cholesterol, including low LDL. But he also had high triglycerides, low HDL, high CRP, and high Lipoprotein(a) – all risk factors for heart disease.
- Patient example #2 – This patient had had two strokes. He had spent a year on a vegetarian diet and still had high CRP and high homocysteine.
- Patient example #3 – This patient was a smoker He came in with high total cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, and very high CRP. He also had stage 4 lung cancer. His inflammation was off the charts.
- LP-PLA2 blood marker – This stands for Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2. This test helps doctors “see into” the blood vessels, as the marker shows the amount of inflammation present specifically within the arteries. It’s also associated with rupture-prone plaque as opposed to stable plaque.
- Studies confirm the use of LP-PLA2: Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 as a Novel Risk Marker for Cardiovascular Disease – PMC (nih.gov)
- How to lower your hs-CRP and LP-PLA2: Lower inflammation (Don’t guess; test!), increase physical activity (6-7 hours of walking per week), support dental hygiene, boost T in men, and address viral infections.
What are other things you can do to support cardiovascular health? Supplementation can help. Dr. Gates shares some product knowledge next.
Product Knowledge: NEO40
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Dr. Gates covers a supplement called NEO40, which supports healthy blood pressure levels, cardiovascular and heart health, and healthy arterial function. NEO40 helps the body produce an important molecule called nitric oxide (NO).
- Nitric oxide is crucial for supporting the body overall, but it’s especially needed for healthy blood vessels.
- Nitric oxide goes down as we age. By our 60s, we are down to 15% of what we started with.
- Conditions associated with insufficient NO.
- What disrupts the production of NO? Nutrient deficiencies based on where you live, mouthwash, antacids, and antibiotics.
- NEO40 is supported with clinical trials. In a randomized controlled trial, NEO40 vastly outperformed the traditional nutrients given to raise nitric oxide.
Learn more about NEO40 by reading this article: Without This Crucial Molecule, You Won’t Have Optimal Health! You can also watch an interview with the creator of this revolutionary product, Dr. Nathan Bryan, here.
Hot Topic: Muscle & Joint Pain
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Dr. Gates continues with the “Hot Topic” of the week: muscle and joint pain, another manifestation of inflammation.
- Top 3 Causes behind muscle and joint pain: inflammatory foods, foundation training, and protein intake.
- Protein is a huge part of muscle and joint repair.
- How much protein should you eat? Aim for .75 to 1 gram per pound of body weight. That means if you weigh 150 pounds, you will need to eat 125 to 150 grams of protein per day (about a pound a day).
- Reasons you have a hard time eating that much? Look whether you’re producing enough stomach acid, and whether your digestive system can break down the protein and get it into cells.
For more information on joint and muscle pain, read this article: How Can Nutrition Influence Your Joint Pain and Muscle Soreness? – The Wellness Way.
Doc’s Thoughts: Last 10%
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Dr. Gates ends with his “last 10%,” discussing the seriousness of heart disease and cardiovascular disease, especially with their recent growth rates.
- News headline from 2018: ‘Accelerated Atherosclerosis’ Not Uncommon in Arteries of Young People.
- Study: High Prevalence of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Teenagers and Young Adults | Circulation (ahajournals.org). Researchers concluded that atherosclerosis begins at a young age, and lesions are present in 1 out of 6 teens.
- The Wellness Way can help with comprehensive testing.
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